Irony of stability
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 26 , 2014 -

Now Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India. South Block would be taken over by a whole new team in the next couple of days.

India is now at the crossroad of a dramatic change. The way Narendra Modi surged to the status of the country's most popular leader from being Chief Minister of Gujarat was phenomenal.

It was not BJP or NDA which propelled Narendra Modi to such meteoric height of popularity.

Rather it was Narendra Modi who decimated rival Congress party and gave BJP such a historic landslide victory.

Every section of the country's huge population has high expectations from the new Prime Minister.

Time will tell whether he can deliver or not.

Yes, rhetorics and oratory skill are essential for all public leaders, particularly political leaders but when it comes to governance, vision, shrewdness and capacity to foresee things and plan accordingly should be the benchmark for every political leader.

Given the diverse nature and strong currents of regionalism seen in different parts of the country, Narendra Modi and his team must think twice before replicating his Gujarat model at the national level.

Certainly Narendra Modi would be heading a non-Congress Government which enjoys overwhelming majority in the Lok Sabha.

The election results have given Narendra Modi a very clear clear, huge mandate as claimed by many BJP leaders, to script a new history of India.

Just as the Congress party has the ultimate high command in the form of the Gandhi family, BJP has its high command in RSS although RSS does not always navigate BJP.

This does not mean BJP is independent of RSS.

In fact, it was RSS that took decisions at many crucial phases of BJP's internal policy matters.

We hope Narendra Modi does not become what Dr Manmohan Singh was to Sonia Gandhi.

The NDA Government must not overlook the fact that there is a gulf of difference between 'Hindustan' and 'India' both in interpretation and implication.

People of the country expect a progressive, pro-people and stable Government from Narendra Modi. Stability is guaranteed, what remains to be seen is how progressive and pro-people are Narendra Modi's Government and its policies.

Stability does not necessarily guarantee progress or development and this is testified without any doubt by Manipur.

Chief Minister O Ibobi has been heading a very stable Government for the last 12 years.

How many development parameters has the State of Manipur achieved in the past 12 years?

One need not look up volumes of economic statistics to find an answer to this question.

Just look at Imphal-Jiribam highway, the chronic power crisis and the problem of potable water.

The general perception that stable government will bring overall development and well being in the state is negated by the Government of Manipur although the incumbent Government is in its third consecutive term.

With each passing day, the expectation of the people faded away because of ignoring well being of the citizens.

This is not an isolated case but a systematic failure.

Manipur, in the past 12 years, did not grow in any conceivable sector but degenerated in all spheres.

This is the irony of stable Government.

In Manipur, stability comes with a heavy baggage of stagnancy.

The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) has not improved a bit.

Yes, the pace of modernization accelerated considerably during the last decade but there was little industrial or economic growth.

Agriculture still relies on the vagaries of monsoon. Modern methods of agriculture are yet to be fully introduced in the State.

In spite of all the devastating impacts of shifting cultivation to environment and ecology, the State never bothers to explore an alternative, not to talk about the soaring crime rate, particularly against women and children.